light and seed which bruiseth the head of the serpent within take notice of that and unto him all power is given and he hath said Got not forth Mat 14.16 Pr. 13. Ac. The Papists prefer the vulgar translations before the saws words that the spirit did indite the Scriptures â—â—s namely Hebrew and Greek and so doe the Quakers the English before these Ans We own all Tongues in their places but that the Scripture was given forth or indited by the spirit in Hebrew and Greek onely is false or there was at ler isalem of every Nation under Heaven and every man heard them speak in his own Language Act. 2.3.9 but I say that you or any other by the litterall Knowledge of these Tongues can open the Scriptures that we deny for as there is no respect of persons with God so there is no respect of Languages with him nor Tongues but in every nation he that feaâ—eth God and worketh righteousnes is accepted Acts 10 34 35 so seace your witchcraft from dawbing over the saints words with your Lodâ—ck who epride is in your songues your Tongues is waters the seat of the Whore Rev. 17 15. and because you would be counted wise and learned therefore you mingle your Tongues so your marchandize passes or currant amongst the blind yea I may say wilfully blind who if they will may see your ravenous inside out of which is powered envie railing lyes and slanders covetousneâ— and persecution at all that reads in this â—nd marks your reproaâ—hes may see And now I deny both the Papists and you who is both nursed up at Universiâ—ies so calâ—ed and learned in your Tongues as Pilate was Iohn 10.19 oâ— let Peter and John be witnes against you who was not learned and yet gave forth the Scripture so our native Tongue we own as châ—ese to us because it is the fist of God wereby we understand one another and we own all other in their places but we deny them that takes pride in any Tongue or mixes their dirty Logick with the Scripture for money Pâ— 14. Ac. If the Papists could but get down the regulusing authority of the Scriptures they would conclude they had won the field for they will not abide that all spirits be tâ—yed by the written word nor will the Quakers A. The Papists we deny and their indeavor herein and the Scriptures we own and their regall authority which is the power of God but all such as creep into houses to make a trade of the Scriptures abuseth the Scriptures authority and here ye Parish made â—s and Jesuite successors who coms from their Colleges into their Masse-houses are found in deavouring to tread the Regal or Kingly Authority of the Scripture under your seet so from that authority you are gone to the image of Queen Maâ—â—es Law by which the Jesuits was and you Priests is garded and by the same Law some of you have imprisoned to death as witnes Exeter Colchester Lancester Yorke and Durham Goales so the authority of the Scriptures viz. the power of God is denied by you which is sled to the power of nationall Laws and Magistrates to hold you by putting the letter for the word and tryall of spirits you your selves being ministers of the letter and yet whith the letter cannot see your selves in Cains Corahs and Balaâ—ms spirit and practises for which amongst the rest of your forceries the curse will overtake you exeâ—pt you repent And thou that would have the Scripture to be the tryar of spirits thou presumes to take the ballances out of the hand of God the Lord weighâ—th the spirits Pro 16 2. and the spirit searchâ—th all things 1 Cor. 2.10 and whatsoever maketh manifest is light Eph. 5.13 so that which searcheth weigheth and maketh manifest is the Lord his spirit and hâ— light and these three are one from whom we have â—eceiâ—ed the unction or anoâ—nting which teacheth of all thing 1 Iohn 2.27 they that tâ—yed the pirits was such as John exhorted to the anoynâ—ing for teaching from the teachings of man saith he Yereâ—d not that any mâ—n teâ—â—h you c 1 John 2 27 and they that were of God hâ—ard them that exâ—orâ—ed to the anoynting from the teachings of men of corrupt minds and this I testifie that they are guided by the spirit of Aâ—â— Christ who doth not own Christ the light come into thâ—iâ— flesh to destroy the works of the Devill and to give thee knowleâ—â—e of God and of Adoption and the hope of Glory and to give â—â—e knowledge of condemnation and righteousnes and of eaâ—◠〈◊〉 stration and how they are passed through And whereas hâ—â— art telling of aâ—titeen word â—o be the â—ryaâ— I say the Scripture we 〈◊〉 the addition â—â—e deny and shall have it upon thee to prove for â—â—ver and gold is pure in its nature but it may be mouâ—â—en into a Calfe so â—â—o the Scriptures is pure and true as they are but they may be and is abâ—sed by the builders of Babell now in the misâ—ery of their workâ—ng but the Loâ—d will no longer be mocked by such cunnâ—ng Carpenters but is risen and hath taken a view of all shadows by his light which is as the eye-lids of the Morning by which all buildings is made manifest to be upon the sand though the builders of all sorts have pretended to hew their stones from one Rock yet the Lord hath a controversie with you and by his power which is the authority of the Scriptures is the shaking all buildings at their very roots Pr. Now many more particulars could I instance were it necessary and not over tedious to prove your selves to be the Babylonesh Factors that have received the marke of the Beast in your hand though not in your fore-heads so fully yet as to discover you to all yet to us you are discovered plainely A These particulars which thou hast already instanced is sufficient for us to see thy blindnes for if thine eye had been open when thou searched my pâ—câ—e as thou said thou would thou would have bin ashamed to have thus falsly accused us with thy confusion which accusations is justly reforted to the puddle from whence they sprang for even the same spirit that called Christ mad and said he had a Devill the same spirit that called Paul a pestelont fellow and a mover of Sedition I say the same spirit in thee S. A. hath indeavoured to joyn us with the Papists thine own predecessors as is proved therefore the Romish Factors or Merchants you are found as well as Babylonish having received the mark of the Beast in your Fore-heads rushing forward in lyes and slanders as a horse into the battell so beast like pushing and wrastling with flesh and blood viz. with the persons of men plunging them into holes and dungeons even as strong beasts drives the weak so here you are found exereising the power of the first Beast persecuting the free ministration of the spirit the anoynter
truely say as we are faithfull that we are partakers of the divine nature which worketh and leadeth us unto the righteousnes of God and out of the Fall and out of the Curse into the Son-ship to receive the spirit of adoption and so we are made members of his body of his flesh and of his bones Ephes 5.30 and is not ashamed of the Doctrine of the Apostle Ephes 2.5.6 mark thou that denyes perfection and equallity with Christ shall the members deny the head oh horrible if this be thy Knowledge no wonder if thou rage with thy naturall light for spirituall light thou art ignorant of which was the Apostles message 1 Iohn 1.5 Acts 26.18 which message is trampled under Foot by you that hath your Logicke but that any thing which is of the flesh or corrupt will of man is equall with God that we deny and so is cleare from horrible blasphemy Pr. Thou tells me I call Divine light naturall but if this be thy Divine light I must tell thee I call it not naturall light but Diabolicall delusion even the glowings of Satan transforming himselfe into an Angell of light Ans I have told thee the truth though thou call it what thou will and seeing thou art given over to beleeve lyes and not onely so but a maintainer of that worke thy selfe therefore thou calls light darknesse and darknesse light And if thou call that Diabolicall delusion which I call Divine light I must tell thee thou art a blasphemer wrest and twine what way thou can for I call no other light the Divine light but that spoken of Luke 2.31 Iohn 1.9 3.20 5.35 8.12 12.36.46 Acts 26.18 Ephes 5.13 consider this thou that would put out the Sun and have all to walke in the light of thy and your flame which by your falne wisome is invented or kindled thou that hates this light which we own is in darknesse and so in Diabolicall delusion acted by the spirit of Satan in the transfiguration having a name of that which you are not to wit the Ministers of Christ for you are found in Kains Corahs and Balaams way in envie resifting the spirit gainsaying the truth loving the wages of unrighteousnes pleading for fin and imperfection and so no Ministers of Jesus Christ but of Anti-christ For the Minister of Jesus Christ said If we walke in the light as he is in the light then have we fellowship one with another and the blood of Iesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sins mark if we dwell or walke in the light 1 John 1.7 the light gives the knowledge of God 2 Cor. 4.6 the light is Christ Iesus John 8.12 12.36 46. and Christ is the power of God 1 Cor. 1.24 and the power of God in Divine 2 Pet. 1.3 by which Divine power we are made partakers of the Divine nature 2 Pet. 1.4 which nature being enjoyed leads into an equallity with Christ according to measure in the regeneration So man let thine own weapons turn edge against thee Pr. But because you own not the Scripture to be the Word of God you are not afraid to abuse them and misapply them at your pleasure both in this particular and all other that Satan suggests unto you Ans The Scriptures we own to be what they are to wit the Words of God Deut. 11.18 c. 12.18 c 17.9 Prov. 30.6 Isay 31.2 Iâ—r 44.28 Micah 2.7 9. and a testification 10.5 39. a Declaration Luke 1.1 a Treatise Acts 1.1 and the words of Christ Marth 24.35 Marke 8.38 Luke 4.22 Iohn 8.47 1 Tim. 6.3 Rev. 1.3 and these words we own which was inspired by the spirit of life Into the Saints to be a Declaration of the word of life which is the Word of God and what art thou that thou would have us to pervert the Scriptures thou shews thy selfe ignorant of the Word of the Lord which would have the Scriptures to be the Word of the Lord contrary to these Scriptures Gen 15.1 Num. 22.18 Dout. 30.14.1 Sam. 3.1 Psal 33.6 107.10 119.89 Ier. 2.1 7.1 33.1 Ezek. 1.3 .6.1 7.1 Deu. 9.2 Ier. 23.29 Iohn 1.1 14 the World sanctifieth 1 Tim. 4.5 it is called his or him Heb. 4.12.13 see Heb. 11.3 Iames 1.18 at 22.1 Pet. 1.23.25 Rev. 19.13 mark the a of Pet. 3.5.6.7 oh yee Priests and others who calls the Scriptures the Word of God here you are found the abusers and misâ—applyars of the Scriptures I refer the Reader to these places above cited if it be not so and thâ— suggestions of Satan to be in the Pharisaicall grave like Ministers of this and other nations who thus perverts the Scriptures calling the Scripture that which they call not themselves but testifieth against as is proved So Simon Atkinsou thou art caught in the net that thou hast layd for others and the day is over thee and you all Pr. As for further instance how ignorantly impudently c. hast thou wrested the words of the Prophets Christ and of his Apostles to make odious his most faithfull pious painfull and profitable Ministers that rule well and labours in the word and doctrine who are therefore of men to be counted worthy of double honour 1 Tim. 5.17 upon whom thou would powre double contempt and disgrace for their labour Ans It s well that these Scriptures and your practises is both apparant we shall lay the one to the other and the Reader shall judge if he will whether I have wiested the words of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles by applying the Priests practice to them yea or my Reader mind these Scriptures I say 56.9.10.11 Ier. 5 30.31 Ezek. 34. to the end Hos 6.9 Micah 3.11 Mat. 23. from 4 to the end 2 Tim. 3.1 to the 10. ver 2 Pet. 1.2.3 14.15 17. Inde 11. and now deale honestly with these places and see it the Priests of our times be not in the same steps And where as thou saith it is to make you odious I say I would you were discovered to all then would your odiousnesse appear to them as well as it doth to us and your lambe-like discipline they would also see to be of no profit but for your own bellies and your faithsulnesse and painfulnesse for that end For which end you strive to keep people from the new Covenant Fleb 8.9.10.11 and from the light that giveth the Knowledge of God 2 Cor. 4.6.7 and from the anoynting within 1 Iohn 2.27 I say you keep people from the Kingdome of God within them Luke 17.21 in the dregs of the old Covenant miked with a new name or shadow of Christianity held in and by the coverous envious boasting principle And here you keep people in slavery to honour you own rules as lords over them You are not like the elders that was of old spoken of 1 Tim 5.17 they had not recorded that they had the tenth of mens increase as of goods and
light who gives the Knowledge of himselfe by his light 2 Cor. 4.6 to him we commit and submit our selves to be taught And seeing God is the onely giver of Knowledge effectually Reader mark then that I say which is the onely giver is the ground cause and effect spiritually and instrumentally as in Phil. 2.13 And whereas thou saith He gives some kind of Knowledge of himselfe as before I say He is the onely effectuall giver of all Divine Knowledge drawing us unto his Son Iohn 6.44 in whom our Eye being placed we come to see and to understand by his Knowledge the Works of Creation and Providence And although thou say thy answers will not sat is fâ—â— my foolish faney As for thy reproachfull termes of untruths I little matter but know though I am satisfied with that which giveth satisfaction and with so much of thine answers as is truth though but in words gathered by thy comprehension in litterall experience for true experience is far from a lyar but God gives the Knowledge of himselfe by his light 2 Cor. 4.6 and this thou art ignorant of who kicks against the prieks of Conscienes which tells thee thou should not lye nor falsly accuse nor Preach for Hire nor be called of men Master nor strive to keep people alwayes learning and still unperfect still in the bondage of corruption they could but be so if they never heard thee take notice of that But furthermore God is both the effectuall and instrumentall giver effectually according to thy own confession I say instrumentally by the Word 1 Iohn 1.14 who was quickned in the spirit by which he also went and Preached unto the spirits in Prison 1 Peter 3.19 so the Word is our Preacher which the righteousnesse of Faith speaks of Rom. 9.6.7.8 by whose light we see your cunning craft and the bottome of you all 2. Quaerie Whether you will own the Scriptures to be your rule and your loves and practises judged by the Apostles lives and practises yea or nay Pr. Ans I retort this Quarie upon your selves who have forsaken thâ—â— Scripture rule and left the good old way of the Saints and what have you to doe with the Apostles practises as Apostles ye false Apostles deceitfull workers transforming your selves into the Apostles of Christ a Cor. 11.13 that say ye are Apostles and are not but is found lyars Rev. 2.12 Ans Here thy winding Serpentine Wisedom and equivocation in seen evading my question turning is back against the innocent accusing us as above I say the Scripture we own every jor and tittle in its place and time of its ministration viz. the Old and New Testaments the first and second Priest-hood the Law and changest the Law I say all these we own in their time and also the change and we own and also witnesse the service of God and his worship in the newnesse of the spirit and not in the oldnesse of the letter and also the ruse of a new Creature which is availeable Gal. 6.15.16 which is and was the good old way of the Saints and so by that rule we come through him that doth renew us as in Tit. 3.5.6.7 into the practises of the Apostles in measure and so is not false Apostles nor no deceitfull workers that remains for thee to prove S. A. so 2 Cor. 11.13 touches us not Reader mark Paul in the 7. ver testifieth that he Preached freely and in the 9. ver Again That he was not burthensome And again in the 10. ver he would not be stopped of that boasting for cutting off occasion in the 12. ver from them which desire occasion mark Paul Preached freely and they that sought occasion against Paul was false Apostles even as the Priests of our dayes who Preaches for Hire now seeketh occasion against them that Preaches freely so Rev. 2.12 shall stand for your own condition and the Lord knows our innocency who knows also that I lye not neither doe I falsly accuse you ye Taske masters like of Egypt Pr. Ah arrant arrogant Pharisees Will no lower forme in the Church then that of the Apostle fit you 1 Cor. 12.28.29 and marke it well ah more umbitious thou Diotrophes Doe you love to have the highest preheminence Did ever any but the Pope that Lucifer Prelate and your selves pretend to an Apostolicall Commission and Revelation since the false Apostles But if ye will needs be Apostles then prove your Apostleship as Paul did 2 Cor. 12.11.12 or elt you must lye in the laps of the lye as indeed you doe Ans Here thou calls us proud wandring Pharisees from which we are clear I say our example had not where to lay his head Luke 9.58 and we are willing to take our portion with him and with our cloud of witnesses Heb. 12.1 who wandered being destitute c. Heb 11.37 and such laboured in travell Preaching the change of the Priest-hood and Law and was persecuted of them that had their Synagogues to creep into as you have now because they testified against them then as we doe against you now who is sound in their steps as is proved And whereas thou saith Will no lower forme sit c. as before I say we are content with our measure whether high or low and it is lawfull for us to covet earnestly the best things 1 Cor. 12.31 and that Scripture owned 1 Cor. 12.28 And though the Apostle hath shewed a more excellent way ver 31. And whereas we are accused with the Pope to pretend Apostolicall Commission the Pope we deny and all you who is proped up by his beastly power imprisoning for a Word or a question and suing at Law for your Gentils Tythes which was instituted and managed by the Pope and Saxon Kings as in the years 933 940 959 by King Ateston King Edmund and King Edgar Pope Innocent and others which Priest-hood and Tythes was never commanded by God in Old in or New Testament here you are seen succeeding your fathers ambitiously holding up that which God never commanded And whereas thou saith We pretend Apostolicall Commission False accusations selfe protences we deny but unto every one of us is given grace according to the measure of the gist of Christ that measure we own Eph. 4.7 to be our Comission and Caller viz. the grace of God at the Apostle did Gal. 1 15. whether into Apostolicall or Propheticall or lower places which is all free Ministrations according to their measures without money or price and profitable in their places for the work of the Ministry for the edesying of the body for the perfecting of the Saints which perfection in this life by your Priests is denyed and so you are sound unprositable and false Apostles deceitfully working for your fat benefices transformed into the name of the Apostles or Ministers of Christs having your Commission from Man to trade with the Letter for money for the free Ministration of the Spirit is denyed by you so you deny the
and teachers so 〈◊〉 art found â—onle in that wherein thou seared me and now thou must take the papists for thy and your brethren and hearers and let them bâ—ate your testimony for they pay you Tythes or wages and you injoy their shâ—pps marke that Pr. 9. Ac. The â—arsts know that the great thing that must be done before they can â—â—duce amongst us is to make them reject their teachers and there fore they bond all their wits and endeavours to viâ—â—fie them and drow the hearts of the people from them end so do the Quakers Ans What the papists your owners doth it is nothing to us we deny them and your pastets and teachers who is thus found in discord First thou saith they call you no true Ministers but deceivers Secondly thou saith they own you for their pastors and teachers And now thou saith they strave to visâ—â—fie you and draw people form you Oh bottomles pit consasion no wonder if they mist or vapour darken the ayre and obscure the Sn but that we bend our wits and endeavours to debase you or villisie you contrary to truth and righteousnes I say that false for we lye in the will of God who is gathering people from all dumbe shepherds himselfe that they may be no more meat for them Eze. 34.10 so we rest in his counsell and in his promise â—zo 34.11.10.17 Iohn 10.16 so we rest in his counsell who treads the winepressâ— alone Isay 63.3.4.5.6 by whose power the refuge of lyars is violated and he hath a controversie with you all and is risen in righteous judgement to render a reward to the proud Psal 94.2 Pr. 10. Ac. The Papists main error consists in the contempt of the Soriptures they say they will not take it for the Word of God but on the authority of the Church and that it is but part of his Word and that Decrees and Constitutions of Popes and Counsels are of equall authority with it the Quakers say it s not the Word of God but onely a Declaration of the Word that was in them that gave it forth and that what themsâ—lves speak or write is from the same spirit therfore equal with it A. Here we deny both you and the papists who holds the Scripture to be the Word either in part or in whole and also we do deny both the Popes Decrees Constitutions Counsels and your divinations and practises to be equal with or agreeable either to the Scripture as it is or to the spirit that gave them forth and you that say they are the Word and they that say they are in part the Word of God I say unto you you are both Idolaters for the Scripture which you call the Word saith God was the Word John 1.1 and that Word became Flesh John 1.14 so you Priests is forming a whole idoll and the Papists but part of an idoll so you are found filling up the measure of your fathers greater idolaters then the paâ—ifâ—s And whereas thou saith the Quakers say it s but onely a Declaration I say the Evangelist saith also so Luke 1.1 and God is the Word who also is a spirit which did inspire his mind and will into his servants which they recorded for a restimony unto future ages which testimony is perverted wrested idolized and made a trade upon by the Parish-masters of England and else-where who is owned of the Papists for Pastors and Teachers according to S. A. his own consession but as touching the Word of God I have spoken largely to it in the 15 pag. so I say he that speaketh and writeth truth in sincerity speaketh and â—riteth from the spirit of truth viz. the spirit of God and so from the same spirit that gave forth the Scriptures and so as it is truth equall with the Scriptures of truth according to its measure Pr. 11. Ac. The Papists say it is but a dead letter so do the Quakers A. Thou said before that the papists owned you to be their pastors and teachers so you popish pastors and teachers we deny your testimony if you say that inke and paper in it selfe is living but we own it that it was the inspired words and will of God freely revealed and freely recorded by them to whom it was inspired by the moveings of the holy Ghost and so written freely for our learning but not to make a trade of as the Papists Bishops and Iesuites did of old after five or six or seven years learning as Prentises at some University and as the Parish masters doe now who after 5.6 or 7. years Prentises at some University or great Schoole gets a place or Parish in the Country and so much in the year and teaches there it may be all his life-time and will tell people that three parts of the world hath never heard of Christ and yet he abides in his Parish and once in seven dayes stands up in his shop where he is accompaniâ—d by some may be 40.50 or 60. years with some and more or lesse with most part and still they are like the crackling of Thornes under a pot unbridled unstable not so much of Christs Doctrine lived in and obeyed as yea nay in their communication or not to sweare at all so you Priests are found hatched in the Popes Nest but deeper in the mistery of witchcraft by sayrer painted profession Pr. 12. Ac. The Papists say it is not fit to be judge of controversies the Quakers say the touchstone of tryall is not the word without but the light within Ans I say I deny the Papists herein for the Scriptures is fit to judge of some controversies if it be held in the righteous part but I doe not say neither with the Papists that it is not fit nor with you popish pastors and teachers that it is the tryar of spirits so here I deny both the Papists and you And whereas thou salst We say the touchstone is not the Word without but the light within I say that God it light John 1.5 who fils Heaven and Earth with his presence let 23.24 and this is the word which we own which is like a sire and a hammar before whose eyes all things are naked and open Heb. 4.12.13 who is a discerner of the thoughts and searches the heart and tryes the reignes of people this is our touchstone the Word nigh in our mouthes and hearts Rom. 10 8. the ingrofied Word I am 1.21 and this is the light which shineth in our hearts which giveth us the knowledge of the glory of God 2 Cor. 4 6. and reproves and makes manifest all things Eph. 5.13 and thou that contemns the light within comtemns that which gave the Apostles knowledge 2 Cor. 4 6 for Christ was given for a light see the promise Isay 49.6 and also his own testimony Ioh. 8.12 12.46 and it was not a Christ without the Gentiles which was the hope of glory but Christ in them Col. 1.27 and this Christ is the
of hell is lyars covetous c. which marks is stamped upon thee and thy generation of Priests S. A. but that we make people two fold more the children of hell then before is utterly false I appeale to every mans Conscience whether he that was a lyar a swearer a whoremunger and an ignorant person c. being changed from these things into moderation whether he be made two-fold more the child of hel then before or not For this I testifie that we have no fellowship with the unfruitfull workers and works of darknes but them we owne who is changed by the renewing of their minds And as for changing impiety into hypocrisie as above in false and I leave it for thee to prove wherein we are Hareticks or hypocrytes for we are clear from all that thou hast layd downs in this Paper against us and it shall stand for your own condition impiety and hypocrisie both apparantly brought forth as in most Goales Courts Assizes Sessions Correction-houses c. in this nation so here you are found the impious hypocrytes who would be called Ministers of Christ but is found biters and devourers take notice of that ye hereticks who calls it Heresie and Popery to Preach the light to be within which gives the Knowledge of God here you contradict the Scriptures Iohn 8.12 Iohn 17.21.2 Cor. 4.6 so heresie shall stand for your own lot in the end of time Pr. How clearly is this seen of all that have their Eyes open is discorne between good and evill Ans If thy sences were exercised to discerne between good and evill then would thou be ashamed to say that we made people two-fold more the children of hell then before but that it might be made manifest that the god of this world hath blinded thine Eyes therefore hast thou spoken Pr. Were not these times fore-seen and the danger of those dayes fore-told by the Lord himselfe and his Apostles Mat. 24.24.25 2 Thes 2.9.10.11.12.1 Thes 4.1.2.3.4.2 Tim. 3. to 6.2 Pet. 2. 12.1 John 4.1.2.3 Iude 8. consider them seriously and compare your own conditions with them imparsâ—ially Ans These things were indeed fore-told which began in the dayes of the Apostles as the Reader may take notice but it seems thou art blind concerning the times Reader mark the ignorance of this man who saith these is the times as above Christ said False Prophets should come Mat. 24.11 24.25 and by their fruits they shoud be known Mat. 7.16.20 and Iohn before his decease he said they were come see 1 Iohn 2 18 19. saith he it is the last times mark it is and saith the Angel all Nations have drunke c. mark have have drunke Rev. 18.3 here you may see your ignorance who saith Christ said false Prophets should come and now it is the last times Christ said they should come Iohn said it was the last time then and there was many Anti-Christs then so let Iohn beare testimony against you And as for these Scriptures that thou hast cited they shall stand recorded for a witnesse against all hireling Priests who take pleasure in the wages of unrighteousnes whose working is after the flesh for fat benefices suceeding the grievous Wolves which spared not the Flocke whose comming is after the power of Satan the Prince of darknesse with inticing words of man wisdom feeding itching ears living in fulnes suing and halling to Prisons lying and falsly accusing as I have proved upon you and so S. A. thou art in the strong delusion beleeving lyes as that we depend upon merits as selfe-righteousnes or selfe-performances selfe-justification and the like And as for 2 Tim. 3. let us see whether we or the Priests be such as is there spoken of as selfe lovers the Priests for their back and belly sues poor people at Law and causes some to travell 400. miles and some is imprisoned to death and some suffers so by that generation of Balck-coats that they have not had a Pan nor a Kettle lest I say such is selfe-lovers and covetous men taking three times double that which they challenge at first not only trebble dammage but trebble summes this is the wages of unrighteousnes worse then Balaam 2 Pet. 2.15 and they are boasters beyond their measures which is out of the Prophets life Christs life and the Apostles life in a proud covetous life as above and yet speaking of the Prophets Christ and the Apostles words in pretence of doctrine pushing one another from their Benefices as Beasts push from the F other unstable soules who trades with other mens lines and they are proud that consents not unto the words of our Lord Jesus Christ 1 Tim. 6.3.4 who said sweare not at all be not ye called of men Master sue no man at Law and freely ye have received freely give c. but the Priests of England resists his Doctrine herein So S. A. they and your spirits is tryed and seen And I have considered these Scriptures which thou hast cited and concluded thee in the path of rebellion denying Christ to be come in the flesh as in the vessels of his Sons and Daughters to perfect and deliver from sin and from corruption in this life so man desist from deceiving least thou perish Pr. This time seemeth to me to be emblematized to the Prophet in the Vision Zach. 3.12 it is the discovery of the state of a Church in the time of Reformation c. but the resisters shall reape rebuke for opposing the faithful Ministers whom he hath raysed up to reforme his House in these dayes and cloathed with a spirit of light zeale and power more then in many ages before which that you cannot see it s because blindnesse is fallen upon you Ans Here is a snare for thy Feet for our High Priest is risen who was the substance of Zachariahs Vision Christ Iesus the light whose Priesthood we own who hath put an end to all you changeable Priests that receives Tythes Heb. 7.12 and his Priest-hood you Tythe-mongers resists because you love the wages of unrighteousnesse suing at Law and as it were fights for your bellies and so is found evill beasts slow-bellies who can never have enough I say 56.11 but the Ministration of Christ Iesus is free without money or price Isay 55.1 Mat. 10.8 Rev. 22.7 and you are found to be the resisters of this High-Priest and his Doctrine and Ministry viz. the Ministre of the spirit of God And as for opposing Gods Faithfull Ministers that is false for we own them that is such with our soules but we deny the reliques of Papistry by which you reformers is up-held and all such who saith they are clothed with the spirit of holines light Leale and power we deny when they are found in Kains Corahs Balaams steps acted by a persecuting spirit haters of the light in a Zeale without Knowledge clothed with the power of darknesse by which power you are suing at Law casting into holes and dungeons and
pillaging poor people Houses Cavelleer-like and so is found as a Troupe of Robbers Hos 6.9 so the spirit of holines is not your clothing for you execed your Fore-Fathers the Scribes and Phasisees or the Lesuits in Queen Maries dayes for persecuting Here you are found to be filthy Dreamers speaking the Visions of your owne hearts studying invented for money your Church is your Shop your Sabbath is your Market day which makes me cry Oh miserable Reformers and Reformation for shame desist thy leven Pr. You are given up to beleeve lyes for that you received not the truth in the love of at nor liked to retain God in your Knowledge therefore are you given up to these strong Delusions Ans All lyes and lyaâ—s we doe deny who saith they are Ministers of Christ Iesus and yet makes a trade of the Letter and we have received the truth in the love of it which is the light and grace of God Iohn 8.12 Tit. 2.11 which teacheth us to turn away from all covetous hirelings who calls the Scripture their rule and the tryar of spirits but is neither guided by spirit nor Scripture I say we are taught to turn from such to the light which shines in our hearts and to the anoynting 2 Cor. 4.6 1 Iohn 2.26 by which we come to know God and to retain him in our Knowledge by whose power we are brought from darknesse deluders false Apostles and from all them who are murmurers complainers walking after their own lusts whose mouthes speaks great swelling words having mens persons in admiration because of advantage Iude 16. who serves not our Lord Jesus Christ but their own bellies so S. A. thine accusation stands recorded against thy slefo Pr. Vunder which you lye as spectieles of Divine wrath which is come upon you as heretofore upon the Iowes for the like sins see 1 Thes 2.15.16 in which sad case we are forced to leave you not knowing whether ever the Lord will deliver you because you despise our help and sets light by our cousells and hates our instruction your hearts being utterly and desperately hardened Ans Reader thou may take notice how that the Apostle in this 1 Thes 2. who used not a cloake of covetonsnes ver 5. But laboured and travelled that he might not be chargoable ver 9. I say take notice how he declares against the Jews in the 15.16 v who kiled the Lord Iesus Christ and their own Prophets and forbad the Apostles to speake to the Goutiles They had their Synagogues to ateep into as the Priests of our time the Papists Masle-houses to creep into not labouring in travell as the Apostles did 1 Thes 2. 8.9.10.11 but despising them that doth Iewes-like 1 Thes 2. 15.16 but you are more subtile holding up the first Priest-hoods maintenance under the cloake of Gospel maintenance crying against them that speaks what they have received freely so the 1 Thes 2.15.16 is fulfilled amongst you that is called of men Masters stands praying in your Masle houses or Synagognes striving to draw from the spirits teachings c. but we are delivered from you and knows your voyces to be the voyces of strangers and the Lord hath brought us into that one Fould where he is the Shepherd alone from the mouthes of all ye dumbe shepherds which made a prey upon us and so your help we deny for you help into spirituall whoredom but not out And your counsell we deny its invented trash and you are found and proved lyars but he is our Counseller whose name is called Wonderfull Counsellor Isay 9.6 who is also our hope of glory Col. 1.26.27 who is our Instructer who faith learne of me Mat. 11.29 he hath turned unto us his pure Language by taking away out stony hearts for whose Instruction we utterly deny all your leven and you leveners who faith and doth not so S. A. thou and thy Fellows shall proceed no further undiscovered to the Children of Light and except you repent of your lewdnesse divine wrath will be the portion of your spirtuall Witcheraft wherein you keep people alwayes learning and you your selves alwayes pleading against perfection Oh ye Caterpillars and Grasse-hoppers how long will ye not cause to destroy the blossomes of the vine which increaseth dayly before your bloody devouring jawes and envious instigations Oh that ye would be warned Pr. And now to come to the conclusion of the Paper which contains some simple Quaries c. and why Quaries c. Ans The end of my quaering was and is for the clearing of the truth and try all of thy spirit whether patlent or perverse and not tempt thee with evill as thou hast enviously judged but that by slighty cunning might be made manifest as after will appear Pr. Thou shewes thy selfe without shame to doe the works of thy Father who was a tempter c. Mat. 22.17.18 19.3 c. Mar. 8.11 9.14 Luke 10.25 John 8.56 Ans Here thou hast eited some Scriptures unto which thou compares me for asking of thee a question Ah thou judge of evill thoughts the Scribes and Pharisees had better cause to call Christ a tempter then thou hath to call me for the knew from whence the Baptisms of John was better then they as Mat. 21.25 and whose Son he was better then they Mat. 22.45 although he asked them I say they mocked him and subtilly layd waite to intangle him but I have not quaeried of thee in that nature but for clearing of truth because of diversity of judgements so I deny them that sought to intangle Christ to be my fore-fathers although thy actions with thy Fellows cannot deny them to be your fore-fathers as is proved for innoceney will clears me and the Lord be judge between thee and me Pr. And now though I might send thee away as Christ did thy fore-fathers Mat. 21.25 chap. 22.45 c. yet because I know thee and the rest of thy generation to be lesse ingonuous and more impedent and apt to be lifted up upon light oceasion and least my total silence should afford any fuell for the fire of thy pride I shal shape thee such answers as may possibly have no more wisedome then thy Quaries though probably more truth then thou quaries after Ans I have not asked after the nature of the Scribes and Pharisees to intangle thee although thou hath intangled thy slefe but for the causes afore said have I quaered and thou art found the immetator of those who first consulted to lye Mat. 21.25.26.27 and then answered plainly ver 31. 41. as thou hast done â—s after will appeare But first thou hast made thy Kaine-like Jewish spirit manifest Christ Jesus asked many questions although he knew And the Apostle exhorted to give a reason of the hope that was in them but albeit thou pretend to be a Minister of Christ yet thou art found unwilling to answer but is lifted up in contempt and false accusations for I tell thee we know what